According to current guidelines, patients with thrombocytopenia due to myelosuppression are supported with platelet concentrates in order to prevent and treat bleeding complications using... Show moreAccording to current guidelines, patients with thrombocytopenia due to myelosuppression are supported with platelet concentrates in order to prevent and treat bleeding complications using algorithms which include the level of thrombocytopenia as well as varying clinical parameters, e.g. concomitant infection, the use of anticoagulant drugs, specific interventions. In the last three decades, mainly driven by safety issues, several platelet product changes were made with leukoreduction in the eighties of the previous century, plasma reduction and the use of additive solution in the nineties and the use of pathogen reduction in the first decade of this century.This thesis is mainly based on two randomised controlled trials testing the clinical efficacy of the use of additive solutions and pathogen reduction, essentially showing a decreased clinical efficacy as well as a decrease in adverse transfusion events. A bette r understanding of the pathophysiology of bleeding, thrombocytopenia and platelet transfusion refractoriness will lead to improvements in supportive care as well as patient survival, the common goal of all physicians. Show less
